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MAYOR'S NEWSLETTER -- OCTOBER 1982
Trash Dumpster Update. Since the last Newsletter, the situation with overloading
the three free dumpsters has greatly improved. Local newspapers also ran
articles on the problem, so this helped deliver the message to our citizens. We
are very pleased with the favorable response and the improved situation. Thank
you for your cooperation and support.
Senior Citizens' Cookbook. Many of you may already know that the Euless Senior
Citizens put together a one-of-a-kind cookbook with many delicious recipes. The
cookbooks can be purchased at the Simmons Center Recreation Building,
Community Building, Library, and City Hall for $3.50 each. Most of the first
printing is already sold, but reprints have been ordered and are due the last of
October. We are proud of this group for completion of this excellent project, and
for the benefit it has brought to all those who obtain the cookbooks.
County Commissioner Lyn Gregory. Many of you may not be aware of how your
County Commissioner for Precinct 3, Lyn Gregory, has contributed his efforts to
improving the streets in Euless. Through his cooperation several Euless streets
have been repaved and upgraded. We would like to extend this thank you to him
and make our citizens aware of his great assistance to the citizens of Euless.
Southwestern Bell Telephone Company Increase. Southwestern Bell Telephone
Company has requested an increase in rates. The City of Euless has joined with
the Texas Municipal League to oppose the increase which will be considered by
the Texas Public Utility Commission.
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Beautify Euless Campaign. The City of Euless is planning to enter the
Governor's Texas Beautification competition next year. The City was approached
by a gentleman who had worked in this program and felt Euless was as beautiful
as other cities who had pursued the award. After due consideration, it was
decided that Euless would give it a try. We'll need the cooperation and support
of all Euless citizens in this endeavor, and know that you all will be supportive
and proud of your city. The Parks and Recreation Board and Parks and
Recreation Department will be coordinating the project. We will keep you posted
in forthcoming newsletters on the projects and progress. The Euless Parks and
Recreation Board meets the first Monday of each month at 7:00 P.M., in the
Council Chambers of the Euless Municipal Building, 201 North Ector Drive.
Please visit and feel free to participate. There is an effort sponsored by the
Parks and Recreation Department to choose a suitable "slogan" for Euless' use
during preparation for the award in the next few months.
1982-83 Euless Budget and City Tax Rate. Following are reprints of two articles
which recently appeared in the Mid-Cities Daily News and which very adequately
explain actions recently taken by the Euless City Council. You will note that we
are funding the new city budget with a 12% increase over last year, with each
homeowner paying less than 1% additional taxes over 1981-82.
Sincerely,
Harold D. Samuels
Mayor
exemption
ti
Euless p
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now easyto
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pa y
By LIZ NEWLIN Council voted unanimously in
Daily News Staff Writer the special meeting to adopt the
current tax rate — '/o cents per
Euless City Council Monday $100 valuation — and add a 20
officially decided to keep the percent homestead exemption..
same tax rate and add a 20 per- That exemption should wipe
cent homestead exemption. out the tax increase that Tarrant
Tax Assessor-Collector Bill Appraisal District created when
Brown made it easy. it raised home values an average
Brown said he can use infor- of 26 percent in Euless.
mation on the computerized tax The$10,700 exemption adopt-
rolls for Hurst-Euless-Bedford ed last year for citizens more
schools to apply the 20 percent than 65 years old and the dis-
exemption to Euless abled will be retained.
homeowners. The new homestead exemp-
Brown works primarily as tax tion was deemed necessary to
assessor-collector for HEB keep homeowner taxes from in-
schools, but also collects taxes creasing disproportionately
for Euless. among classifications of Euless
Earlier, city officials feared taxpayers. Business values, for
the exemption would be an ad- instance, were raised 12 percent.
rn istrative nightmare. Therefore, the city could not
They said rebates probably reduce the overall tax rate and
still raise enough money to pay
would be used to refund taxes the budget. As it is, city officials
paid on the valuation exempted. expect new construction will pay
Citizens would have had to go to for most of the 12.5 percent in-
City Hall to collect the refund. crease included in the new $9.1
With Brown's computer appli- million budget adopted last
cation, however, citizens who week.
qualify for a homestead exemp- Residents who have received
tion from the schools should get TAD tax notices can check to see
it automatically from the city. if HEB schools have granted
Brown said he also has home- them a homestead exemption.
stead information for Euless res- Homeowners who don't have the
Euless idents who live in Grapevine exemption may apply for it at
tax rate Independent School District. the HEB Tax Office.
change unil'oke
By LIZ NEWLIN $63,000 by TAD this year.
Daily News Staff Writer Deducting the city's 20 per-
Taxable values may be going cent homestead exemption, the
up in Euless, but City Council new taxable value would be
plans to head off a rise in home- $50,400.
owners'taxes. Apply the current tax rate,
Council will hold an open and the increase in city taxes is
meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday in $2.80—or 0.8 percent.
chambers to officially set the tax. Other tax entitites — the
rate school district,county and others
At its regular meeting Tues- — may increase or decrease tax-
es differently.
day, council announced it proba- Senior citizens and the dis-
bly will keep the current 70-cent abled will collect the$10,700 city
tax rate and couple it with a new tax exemption instituted last
20 percent homestead
exemption. year in addition to the 20 per-
Tarrant Appraisal District cent homestead allowance.
raised residential values 26 per- Homeowners are eligible for
cent and raised business values the homestead exemption if they
12 percent. live in their own home. Rental
Mayor Harold Samuels ex- property, for instance, is not
plained the council sought a way eligible.
to fund the budget while still
keeping residential taxes down. Mechanics of the homestead
"Working to the middle," he plan still haven't been decided,
said, the current tax rate with but a rebate program seems like-
the 20 percent homestead allow- ly. Taxpayers would pay the full
ante seemed to fit the bill. amount, then receive a refund
It should still enable the city from the city for the amount
to collect enough money to fund exempted.
its $9.1 million budget. Hurst-Euless-Bedford Inde-
And on the individual's level, pendent School District has a
taxes will rise only slightly. state-mandated homestead ex-
For example, a home valued emption, but it works different-
at $50,000 for the 1981 tax year ly, using a dollar amount instead
would have been raised to of a percentage.